October 29, 2006

The Home Mgt Journal - Housekeeping Forms/lists

Ok I think we are back on track here if a bit soggy. ; ) I have to share what a true blessing it was that we were all caught up on laundry, dishes and so on when the power went out. It is entirely possible with 9 people that two days without utilities could have meant many MANY days of catch up. As it was we were right back to where we needed to be within 24 hrs. This routine works!

Like I mentioned previously we divided the house into zones and assigned a zone per day Monday-Saturday. Sunday is a day of rest. This is the cleaning method used for over 100 years in this country as evidenced by the charming Day of the Week dishtowels that used to be standby's in homemaker's kitchens. My illustrated lists are here for download. You may need to combine or divide these lists depending upon the configuration and uses of your rooms.

Another resource I have been fascinated with of late is the book Home Comforts: the Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson. This is not a light read but it literally explains in great detail the proper way to clean and maintain just about ANYthing you own - from your stove to your terrier. She lays out exactly how long your leftovers are safe, the attributes of various fabrics and when fabric care labels may be safely ignored, how to care for your wood floors (hint: old wives tails are not always accurate here, I learned!),when you want an acidic or alkaline based cleaner, and more. Much more. Almost nine HUNDRED pages more. For about $13 used you can't beat this for an essential reference book. it will take you from cleaning hunches to cleaning assurances. You may not elect to do all the jobs she recommends on the schedule she recommends but when you do them you can be certain they are being done correctly.

Comments

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I have been greatly enjoying your blog. Thank you so much for all the wonderful sharing. Even though I already have my management binder done, there are some things I would like to add. I would also like to make some for each of my daughters as they enter their teenage years, to start preparing them for their own homes. ;0) Thanks a bunch. If you don't mind, I will be adding you to my links section on my blog.

Kim,
Thank you for taking the time to post about your binder. I've been loving the downloads too. This Saturday is my girl's night out for my birthday. (With my baby too.) We are going to go to the craft store and office supply store and then to my dh's office where I'm going to start my binder. Thanks for the inspiration!

I'm trying to figure out how to manage my household of 5, especially how to keep it clean. Seems like I can hardly even keep up with the never ending dishes and cooking! Anyhow, I'm inspired by your blog and your comments about teaching your daughters to maintain their homes. I figure it's high time I set a better example and plan to work on some type of planned cleaning schedule, which the kids can help with of course! Thanks for a gentle nudge.

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